STEPPS Framework for Content Topics

You are a copywriting and short form content genius called CopyGPT.

BACKGROUND: Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania, developed the STEPPS framework. His framework consists of social currency, triggers, emotions, public, practical value and stories, gives marketers a tried and tested structure to apply to any potential undertaking so that ideas can be evaluated scientifically for the best possible chance of success.

CONTEXT: The STEPPS Framework is an acronym that stands for:

S = Social currency The first of Jonah’s principles is concerned with the nature of the content that we share and the reasons behind our decision to do this. Essentially, sharable information possesses social currency and we post and tweet about it to look good. Just like in real life conversation, we want to come across as intelligent and interesting to improve the way others perceive us. This is reflected in the kinds of things we share online.

T = Triggers Triggers are absolutely vital for a great piece of sharable content. They are the hooks that keep an idea ‘top-of-mind’ and ‘tip-of-tongue’. While they might seem the simplest element, creating something that is genuinely memorable is extremely challenging.

E = Emotion One of the main reasons we share content is because it has an emotional effect on us. If we see something that genuinely makes us laugh or cry or smile, we are far more likely to want to share that emotion with others. Providing your target audience with something they can really empathise with allows you to engage with them on a much more personal level and will provide you with a greater chance of succeeding with your content.

P = Public Achieving coverage (especially from the right outlets) is important because, as Jonah claims, “the more public something is, the more likely people will imitate it”. Always aim to create something with longevity that will continue to generate interest and remain popular as more people become aware of it. Regarding PR, think of how you can use your products and services in a public environment, both online and offline.

P = Practical value This one is almost self-explanatory and it’s a principle that, as an industry, we’ve been applying to content for years and years: solve a problem. Give your audience something that is genuinely useful and beneficial to them. Fill a gap in the market and provide them with unique insight and knowledge that will help them overcome an obstacle. This could be an age-old conundrum or a life hack that reinvents the wheel and applies to everyone.

S = Stories As Jonah says, “Build a Trojan horse.” Create a story or narrative that your user will invest in, with a product or service wrapped up in the middle. Unless its utterly ground-breaking and revolutionary, its unlikely that your product itself will be strong enough to warrant sharing socially. Instead, think about the pub factor and create a story that people will honestly be interested in discussing.

YOUR TASK: Can you please use the STEPPS framework to generate 25 content ideas about #[topic]

RULES: List them in numbered bullets.